Toledo Rockets Football Blog
ESPN is reporting that Toledo alum, Chester Taylor, has signed a four-year, $12.5 million deal with the Chicago Bears.
Taylor rushed for a career-high 1,216 yards in 2006, the year before the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson.
Taylor, who had 338 yards rushing last season, has caught 89 passes the past two seasons, which is an important quality in a Mike Martz offense. The Bears hired Martz as the offensive coordinator during the offseason.
We wish Chester the best of luck in Chicago. For news and stats of Chester, head over here.
Just a few updates on the two Rockets at the NFL Combine in Indianpolis, IN working out and going through drills for the NFL scouts and coaches. Our two representatives (SS Barry Church and WR Stephen Williams) will compete at different points between Feb 27th and March 2nd.
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Height:6′4″ Weight:210 lbs. Arm Length:33 1/4 in. Hand Size:9 1/8 in. Top Performer: |
Height:6′1″ Weight:222 lbs. Arm Length:33 1/4 in. Hand Size:9 3/8 in. Top Performer: |
NFLDraft101.com had this to say about Stephen Williams:
Stephen Williams – A relative unknown out of Toledo, Williams had a great overall workout showing good athleticism for a big guy in the tests and looked fluid throughout the drills.
Check back for updates on their workouts and for any other nuggets of info we can find regarding these two and their performance at the combine. Great representatives of UT and the Rocket football program.
Today, the much-anticipated 2010 football schedule was released. Featuring 6 home games and an OOC schedule with Purdue, Arizona, Wyoming, and Boise State – the Rockets have an interesting lineup of games for 2010.
| Date | Opponent | TV | Location | Time |
| Fri. Sept. 3 | ARIZONA | ESPN | GLASS BOWL | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sat. Sept. 11 | at Ohio* | Athens, OH | TBA | |
| Sat. Sept. 18 | at Western Michigan* | Kalamazoo, MI | TBA | |
| Sat. Sept. 25 | at Purdue | West Lafayette, IN | TBA | |
| Sat. Oct. 2 | WYOMING (Homecoming) | GLASS BOWL | 7:00 p.m. | |
| Sat. Oct. 9 | at Boise State | Boise, ID | TBA | |
| Sat. Oct. 16 | KENT STATE* | GLASS BOWL | TBA | |
| Sat. Oct. 23 | BALL STATE* | GLASS BOWL | TBA | |
| Sat. Oct. 30 | at Eastern Michigan* | Ypsilanti, MI | TBA | |
| Tue. Nov. 9 | at Northern Illinois* | ESPN2 | DeKalb, IL | 6:00 p.m. (CT) |
| Wed. Nov. 17 | BOWLING GREEN* | ESPN2/ESPNU | GLASS BOWL | TBA |
| Fri. Nov. 26 | CENTRAL MICHIGAN* | ESPNU/360 | GLASS BOWL | TBA |
Caught this article on The Lady Sportswriter blog about underrated athletes in the 2010 draft. The second guy names on the list is our very own DaJuane Collins. The sole representative from the MAC on this list, check out her take on #22:
DaJuane Collins won’t be the fastest back on the field, not by a long shot, his 4.5 forty won’t wow too many scouts. However, speed isn’t always the most important factor when sizing up a back and Collins, at 5′11, 225 pounds is a solid back to handle short-yardage and goal-line duties.
As a senior at Toledo, he was All-MAC, third team, after rushing for 900+ yards. That may not seem impressive for a MAC player but the Rockets were more prone to go to the air than the ground so Collins made the most of every opportunity—his effort netted him nearly 6.0 yards per carry.
He’s got better than average vision and despite his 4.5 speed, he’s elusive and capable of breaking off long runs if he has the space. He’s definitely a gamer.
For more stats and info on Collins, check out ESPN. While Collins is an excellent candidate for this list, I thought we might see Barry Church or Stephen Williams here too — though Church might not be much of a sleeper.
To read the rest of the article from The Lady Sportswriter – hit this link.
The Toledo Rocket football team participated in a team fundraiser “Bowling For Haiti” on Feb. 17, 2010 to benefit the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The Rockets raised $3000 for the cause.
Great to see the guys participating and giving back to the community. This is a great cause and we’re pleased to see Beckman and his staff taking the lead on this. Looks like everyone had a great time – check out the photo gallery on UTRockets.com.
